奥巴马ASU毕业典礼讲话

俺后知后觉地成了奥巴马粉丝。在轰轰烈烈的选举中，俺除了每天看看daily show，根本就没认真关心过形势。最近看了奥巴马一系列演讲，才觉得他实在是文字功夫了得。RS笑俺后知后觉。这个家伙拒绝承认自己是任何人的粉丝，不过俺知道他从06，07年那会儿就开始偷偷崇拜奥巴马了哈哈。

最近有点操心自己的英语学习，发现政治家讲话倒真是学习英语的好材料。John这拨孩子，在国内学英语看得都是总统竞选辩论，确实很先进，以至于John虽然GRE成绩一般，最近俺跟他通电话发现他口语相当不错，明显比我们那会儿许多PhD都强多了。

奥巴马最近的几个演讲，俺最推崇的是ASU毕业典礼这个，觉得最针砭时弊。一些观点，其实是很简单朴素的道理，但是for too long time nobody had spoken it out aloud!

因此俺不仅认真学习了奥巴马同志的讲话，还孜孜不倦地画了重点，以备日后复习。

讲话全文：http://www.asuchallenges.com/commencement2009/obama.asp

President Obama's Commencement Address at Arizona State University

Following is the text of President Obama's commencement address at Arizona State University on May, 13, 2009, as released by the White House.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, ASU. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you -- please. Well, thank you, President Crow, for that extremely generous introduction, for your inspired leadership as well here at ASU. And I want to thank the entire ASU community for the honor of attaching my name to a scholarship program that will help open the doors of higher education to students from every background. What a wonderful gift. Thank you. (Applause.) That notion of opening doors of opportunity to everybody, that is the core mission of this school; it's a core mission of my presidency; and I hope this program will serve as a model for universities across this country. So thank you so much. (Applause.)

I want to obviously congratulate the Class of 2009 -- your unbelievable achievement. (Applause.) I want to thank the parents, the uncles, the grandpas, the grandmas, cousins -- Calabash cousins -- everybody who was involved in helping these extraordinary young people arrive at this moment. I also want to apologize to the entire state of Arizona for stealing away your wonderful former governor, Janet Napolitano. (Applause.) But you've got a fine governor here and I also know that Janet is applying her extraordinary talents to serve our entire country as the Secretary of Homeland Security, keeping America safe. And she's doing a great job. (Applause.)

Now, before I begin, I'd just like to clear the air about that little controversy everybody was talking about a few weeks back. I have to tell you, I really thought this was much ado about nothing, but I do think we all learned an important lesson. I learned never again to pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA bracket. (Applause.) It won't happen again. President Crow and the Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS. (Laughter and applause.)

Now, in all seriousness, I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven't yet achieved enough in my life. (Laughter.) First of all, Michelle concurs with that assessment. (Laughter.) She has a long list of things that I have not yet done waiting for me when I get home. But more than that, I come to embrace the notion that I haven't done enough in my life; I heartily concur; I come to affirm that one's title, even a title like President of the United States, says very little about how well one's life has been led -- that no matter how much you've done, or how successful you've been, there's always more to do, always more to learn, and always more to achieve. (Applause.)

And I want to say to you today, graduates, Class of 2009, that despite having achieved a remarkable milestone in your life, despite the fact that you and your families are so rightfully proud, you too cannot rest on your laurels. Not even some of those remarkable young people who were introduced earlier -- not even that young lady who's got four degrees yet today. You can't rest. Your own body of work is also yet to come.

Now, some graduating classes have marched into this stadium in easy times -- times of peace and stability when we call on our graduates simply to keep things going, and don't screw it up. (Laughter.) Other classes have received their diplomas in times of trial and upheaval, when the very foundations of our lives, the old order has been shaken, the old ideas and institutions have crumbled, and a new generation is called upon to remake the world.

It should be clear to you by now the category into which all of you fall. For we gather here tonight in times of extraordinary difficulty, for the nation and for the world. The economy remains in the midst of a historic recession, the worst we've seen since the Great Depression; the result, in part, of greed and irresponsibility that rippled out from Wall Street and Washington, as we spent beyond our means and failed to make hard choices. (Applause.) We're engaged in two wars and a struggle against terrorism. The threats of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemic defy national boundaries and easy solutions.

For many of you, these challenges are also felt in more personal terms. Perhaps you're still looking for a job -- or struggling to figure out what career path makes sense in this disrupted economy. Maybe you've got student loans -- no, you definitely have student loans -- (applause) -- or credit card debts, and you're wondering how you'll ever pay them off. Maybe you've got a family to raise, and you're wondering how you'll ensure that your children have the same opportunities you've had to get an education and pursue their dreams.

Now, in the face of these challenges, it may be tempting to fall back on the formulas for success that have been peddled so frequently in recent years. It goes something like this: You're taught to chase after all the usual brass rings; you try to be on this "who's who" list or that top 100 list; you chase after the big money and you figure out how big your corner office is; you worry about whether you have a fancy enough title or a fancy enough car. That's the message that's sent each and every day, or has been in our culture for far too long -- that through material possessions, through a ruthless competition pursued only on your own behalf -- that's how you will measure success.

Now, you can take that road -- and it may work for some. But at this critical juncture in our nation's history, at this difficult time, let me suggest that such an approach won't get you where you want to go; it displays a poverty of ambition -- that in fact, the elevation of appearance over substance, of celebrity over character, of short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your generation needs to help end. (Applause.)

Now, ASU, I want to highlight -- I want to highlight two main problems with that old, tired, me-first approach. First, it distracts you from what's truly important, and may lead you to compromise your values and your principles and commitments. Think about it. It's in chasing titles and status -- in worrying about the next election rather than the national interest and the interests of those who you're supposed to represent -- that politicians so often lose their ways in Washington. (Applause.) They spend time thinking about polls, but not about principle. It was in pursuit of gaudy short-term profits, and the bonuses that came with them, that so many folks lost their way on Wall Street, engaging in extraordinary risks with other people's money.

In contrast, the leaders we revere, the businesses and institutions that last -- they are not generally the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose -- the preservation of the Union or the determination to lift a country out of a depression; the creation of a quality product, a commitment to your customers, your workers, your shareholders and your community. A commitment to make sure that an institution like ASU is inclusive and diverse and giving opportunity to all. That's a hallmark of real success. (Applause.)

That other stuff -- that other stuff, the trappings of success may be a byproduct of this larger mission, but it can't be the central thing. Just ask Bernie Madoff. That's the first problem with the old attitude.

But the second problem with the old approach to success is that a relentless focus on the outward markers of success can lead to complacency. It can make you lazy. We too often let the external, the material things, serve as indicators that we're doing well, even though something inside us tells us that we're not doing our best; that we're avoiding that which is hard, but also necessary; that we're shrinking from, rather than rising to, the challenges of the age. And the thing is, in this new, hyper-competitive age, none of us -- none of us -- can afford to be complacent.

That's true in whatever profession you choose. Professors might earn the distinction of tenure, but that doesn't guarantee that they'll keep putting in the long hours and late nights -- and have the passion and the drive -- to be great educators. The same principle is true in your personal life. Being a parent is not just a matter of paying the bills, doing the bare minimum -- it's not bringing a child into the world that matters, but the acts of love and sacrifice it takes to raise and educate that child and give them opportunity. (Applause.) It can happen to Presidents, as well. If you think about it, Abraham Lincoln and Millard Fillmore had the very same title, they were both Presidents of the United States, but their tenure in office and their legacy could not be more different.

And that's not just true for individuals -- it's also true for this nation. In recent years, in many ways, we've become enamored with our own past success -- lulled into complacency by the glitter of our own achievements.

We've become accustomed to the title of "military super-power," forgetting the qualities that got us there -- not just the power of our weapons, but the discipline and valor and the code of conduct of our men and women in uniform. (Applause.) The Marshall Plan, and the Peace Corps, and all those initiatives that show our commitment to working with other nations to pursue the ideals of opportunity and equality and freedom that have made us who we are. That's what made us a super power. (Applause.)

We've become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn't reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us where we are, but hard work and smart ideas -- quality products and wise investments. We started taking shortcuts. We started living on credit, instead of building up savings. We saw businesses focus more on rebranding and repackaging than innovating and developing new ideas that improve our lives.

All the while, the rest of the world has grown hungrier, more restless -- in constant motion to build and to discover -- not content with where they are right now, determined to strive for more. They're coming.

So graduates, it's now abundantly clear that we need to start doing things a little bit different. In your own lives, you'll need to continuously adapt to a continuously changing economy. You'll end up having more than one job and more than one career over the course of your life; to keep gaining new skills -- possibly even new degrees; and you'll have to keep on taking risks as new opportunities arise.

And as a nation, we'll need a fundamental change of perspective and attitude. It's clear that we need to build a new foundation -- a stronger foundation -- for our economy and our prosperity, rethinking how we grow our economy, how we use energy, how we educate our children, how we care for our sick, how we treat our environment. (Applause.)

Many of our current challenges are unprecedented. There are no standard remedies, no go-to fixes this time around. And Class of 2009 that's why we're going to need your help. We need young people like you to step up. We need your daring, we need your enthusiasm and your energy, we need your imagination.

And let me be clear, when I say "young," I'm not just referring to the date of your birth certificate. I'm talking about an approach to life -- a quality of mind and quality of heart; a willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead to fortune and fame; a willingness to question conventional wisdom and rethink old dogmas; a lack of regard for all the traditional markers of status and prestige -- and a commitment instead to doing what's meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a difference in this world. (Applause.)

That's the spirit that led a band of patriots not much older than most of you to take on an empire, to start this experiment in democracy we call America. It's what drove young pioneers west, to Arizona and beyond; it's what drove young women to reach for the ballot; what inspired a 30 year-old escaped slave to run an underground railroad to freedom -- (applause) -- what inspired a young man named Cesar to go out and help farm workers; what inspired a 26 year-old preacher to lead a bus boycott for justice. It's what led firefighters and police officers in the prime of their lives up the stairs of those burning towers; and young people across this country to drop what they were doing and come to the aid of a flooded New Orleans. It's what led two guys in a garage -- named Hewlett and Packard -- to form a company that would change the way we live and work; what led scientists in laboratories, and novelists in coffee shops to labor in obscurity until they finally succeeded in changing the way we see the world.

That's the great American story: young people just like you, following their passions, determined to meet the times on their own terms. They weren't doing it for the money. Their titles weren't fancy -- ex-slave, minister, student, citizen. A whole bunch of them didn't get honorary degrees. (Laughter and applause.) But they changed the course of history -- and so can you ASU, so can you Class of 2009. (Applause.) So can you.

With a degree from this outstanding institution, you have everything you need to get started. You've got no excuses. You have no excuses not to change the world. Did you study business? (Applause.) Go start a company. (Applause.) Or why not help our struggling non-profits find better, more effective ways to serve folks in need. (Applause.) Did you study nursing? (Applause.) Understaffed clinics and hospitals across this country are desperate for your help. Did you study education? (Applause.) Teach in a high-need school where the kids really need you; give a chance to kids who can't-- who can't get everything they need maybe in their neighborhood, maybe not even in their home we can't afford to give up on -- prepare them to compete for any job anywhere in the world. (Applause.) Did you study engineering? (Applause.) Help us lead a green revolution -- (applause) -- developing new sources of clean energy that will power our economy and preserve our planet.

But you can also make your mark in smaller, more individual ways. That's what so many of you have already done during your time here at ASU -- tutoring children; registering voters; doing your own small part to fight hunger and homelessness, AIDS and cancer. One student said it best when she spoke about her senior engineering project building medical devices for people with disabilities in a village in Africa. Her professor showed a video of the folks they'd been helping, and she said, "When we saw the people on the videos, we began to feel a connection to them. It made us want to be successful for them." Think about that: "It made us want to be successful for them."

That's a great motto for all of us -- find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Rise to their needs. As you think about life after graduation, as you look into the mirror tonight after the partying is done -- (laughter and applause) -- that shouldn't get such a big cheer -- (laughter) -- you may look in the mirror tonight and you may see somebody who's not really sure what to do with their lives. That's what you may see, but a troubled child might look at you and see a mentor. A homebound senior citizen might see a lifeline. The folks at your local homeless shelter might see a friend. None of them care how much money is in your bank account, or whether you're important at work, or whether you're famous around town -- they just know that you're somebody who cares, somebody who makes a difference in their lives.

So Class of 2009, that's what building a body of work is all about -- it's about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up over time, over a lifetime, to a lasting legacy. That's what you want on your tombstone. It's about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star -- because the one thing I know about a body of work is that it's never finished. It's cumulative; it deepens and expands with each day that you give your best, each day that you give back and contribute to the life of your community and your nation. You may have setbacks, and you may have failures, but you're not done -- you're not even getting started, not by a long shot.

And if you ever forget that, just look to history. Thomas Paine was a failed corset maker, a failed teacher, and a failed tax collector before he made his mark on history with a little book called "Common Sense" that helped ignite a revolution. (Applause.) Julia Child didn't publish her first cookbook until she was almost 50. Colonel Sanders didn't open up his first Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his 60s. Winston Churchill was dismissed as little more than a has-been, who enjoyed scotch a little bit too much, before he took over as Prime Minister and saw Great Britain through its finest hour. No one thought a former football player stocking shelves at the local supermarket would return to the game he loved, become a Super Bowl MVP, and then come here to Arizona and lead your Cardinals to their first Super Bowl. (Applause.) Your body of work is never done.

Each of them, at one point in their life, didn't have any title or much status to speak of. But they had passion, a commitment to following that passion wherever it would lead, and to working hard every step along the way.

And that's not just how you'll ensure that your own life is well-lived. It's how you'll make a difference in the life of our nation. I talked earlier about the selfishness and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington that rippled out and led to so many of the problems that we face today. I talked about the focus on outward markers of success that can help lead us astray.

But here's the thing, Class of 2009: It works the other way around too. Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what's in it for you -- that also creates ripple effects -- ones that lift up families and communities; that spread opportunity and boost our economy; that reach folks in the forgotten corners of the world who, in committed young people like you, see the true face of America: our strength, our goodness, our diversity, our enduring power, our ideals.

I know starting your careers in troubled times is a challenge. But it is also a privilege. Because it's moments like these that force us to try harder, to dig deeper, and to discover gifts we never knew we had -- to find the greatness that lies within each of us. So don't ever shy away from that endeavor. Don't stop adding to your body of work. I can promise that you will be the better for that continued effort, as will this nation that we all love.

Congratulations, Class of 2009, on your graduation. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Algonquin流水账 5／30／09

这是我的第一次Algonquin之行也是第一次带露营的canoe trip. 以前canoe过两次，一次是在Everglades的河道里，跟两个朋友毫无技巧地乱撞了大半天，不过觉得canoe还是很好玩的，还有一次是在Oswego的湖里。RS差不多每年都去Algonquin canoe，在他心目中Algonquin简直太好了，我要是不去那人生都不完整了。据他说欧洲人极其推崇Algonquin，每年蜂拥而至，因此多伦多机场大门外在其他所有的地区标志出现之前，最先出现的就是去Algonquin方向的路标。

行程：
第一天，上午在多伦多市区采购，内容包括肥牛肉一大块，智利香肠，智利大饺子，越南三明治等城市里才买得到的食品，顺便在Chinatown买便宜蔬菜若干。中午离开多伦多，2.5小时车程到Algonquin旁边的小镇Huntsville，到超市采购普通食品，包括午饭的pita bread, 三明治用真空装肉食等。然后到Algonquin Outfitter，一家户外用品店。RS历次都在这儿租canoe，25刀一天。工作人员帮着把canoe在车顶上绑好。如果到公园的湖边租就38刀了。6点左右到公园湖边，办野营许可，好像是25刀一个人，住3个晚上。在湖边吃过晚饭，就把东西搬上船出发了。划了快两个小时找到了一个岛上的营地驻扎起来。晚上挺凉，大概5F，所以生火取暖。岛上的柴火资源很丰富。

第二天，风不小，我们睡完懒觉起来，就在岛上乱晃了一天，下午才随便在周边水域划了几下船。我们一行5人，除了我和RS，其他几人都是刚从繁忙的工作中解放出来，所以随便找块石头一躺就觉得很惬意。我倒是觉得有点无聊，我平时就闲得发慌了，所以本来出门就是寻找刺激来得么。傍晚开始小黑苍蝇多了起来，我们上到岛上的山顶看日落，有俩人没等到日落就不堪叮咬逃下山去。不过，比夏天还是好多了，看的出来这些小黑苍蝇都是young and inexperienced，没有夏天的狠。晚上明火烤肥牛肉真香啊！Dean做的咖喱鸡也非常好吃。

第三天，RS要在岛上乱晃和照相，我就跟另外俩朋友出去canoe兜风。我啥也不用做，就在船上东张西望，后来还眯了一小觉。一整天最大的体力活动就是扛着一只船桨和水瓶食品过portage，最长的一个portage好像有3.5公里，把我累得不行。其实人家扛着canoe的人还没说累呢。晚上吃炒杂菜和烤智利香肠。

第四天中午返回。由于我划船不出力，一个多小时的路划了两个多小时才到。至此旅行圆满结束。几天里天气都很好。上岸后看天气预报，后面几天是天天下雨，更觉得我们太幸运啦！

总体感受：
1. 首先我要检讨一下，划船根本没出什么力，大部分时候都是RS一人在划。不过上肢平时都不用的，划船的时候划不了几下就没力气了。如果要训练，大概要用gym里那种划船机。
2. Canoe trip最好的地方就是，因为不用自己扛着，可以多带好多东西，吃的也可以带得很丰富，不须以dry food为主。我们带的pasta都只是备用的。
3. 以前在robinsnow的blog里看提到过一次性马桶垫，这次忘了准备，后来才意识到，在小黑苍蝇横行的环境里，这个东西可以有很大用处的！另外这次由于准备匆忙，其他忘带的东西也有好几样，连防晒和牙刷都是路上买的。后来聊天时一个朋友提起，他把野营需要带的东西长期保存在一个excel文件里，每次拎出来照单准备就行了。真是个简单易行的好办法啊！我也要准备这么个文件！
4. 这个季节晚上虽然有点冷，但是冷就少了小黑苍蝇，那我宁愿冷。小黑苍蝇是这个星期才开始出来的，白天有时候相当扰民。除了这个季节，据说最好的就是9月了。8月小黑苍蝇没了，但是据说蚊子还不少。
5. 这次本来要用LJ给的小红flask装二两二锅头去的，结果走的时候才发现家里的二锅头做饭差不多给用光了。烈酒晚上喝两口还是很御寒的。后来发现Dean带的甜酒grand marnier很好喝啊，下次带这个也行！

纽约流水账 5／19／09

这个时候真是纽约最好的季节，天气凉爽，鸟语花香，到处都很热闹但是还没开始发臭。不过这次时间有限，匆匆逛了两天。

主要目的是photography festival.对俺这个外行人来说是走马观花而已。不过俺充分发挥外行人的权利，逮着不知所云的作品就很blunt地问一句，这个为啥好算艺术的？同样的话，跟艺术界沾边的人如果说出口就显得mean了，我说不过是天真没牙而已哈哈。我最有意见的是，一个photography festival居然还要钱，还每人20大刀！不过如今大概什么东西弄个festival都要宰人一刀的。听说纽约前两个星期的tea and coffee festival也是要每人20刀门票的，明明是卖家一个个摆开booth给自己的产品做广告，还要观众花钱来看，比起来这个photo festival还是比那个划算。

因为参观这个photo festival，第一次在白天来Brooklyn，发现Brooklyn的downtown还是满有意思的，有很多俺喜爱的红砖楼，还有一些很好玩的小店，感觉比Soho的小店更适合我这种观众呢。Soho的店很多是极贵的，俺们这种人逛起来没有参与感，再有就是很多游客生意的店了也没啥意思。Brooklyn不如Soho的是没有街边摊，大概是因为人气毕竟没有那边旺。另外gallery也不够多，大概是还没等艺术家们来得及搬过来，这边的房租已经涨到跟曼哈顿差不多价钱了，据说downtown一带的一居室已经要三四千一个月。

另外的一天就去逛MET. 如今MET的门票要20刀，不过呢是suggested price，RS每次都很大言不惭地买10刀的票。俺其实更不厚道，自己不好意思不照建议价付款，所以让RS一个人去买票自己在远处等着。据RS说，MET的售票员阅人无数，是绝不会有大惊小怪的表情的，况且一天到晚买低价票的人大概本来就很多，很多穷而未婚的人都知道，博物馆是cheap date的绝佳去处。RS最近刚发现，MET每周三和五是可以申请permit带三脚架进去的，所以这次带了三脚架进去狂拍一气。

去MET的路上，在Lexington & 85th 看到一家叫Chirping Chicken的小餐馆，橱窗里的烤架上很壮观地摊了几百只生的和熟的鸡，所以MET逛到一半就出来在这个店吃饭。半天工夫他们的架子上已经摊了另外几百只鸡。我们估计他们一天大概能卖一两千只鸡，因为卖得快，鸡就会总保持新鲜。在他们店里吃鸡的时候我们频频地感叹，还是新鲜的鸡肉好吃啊。这年头轻易吃不上新鲜的肉呢。

最后一天去Flushing兜了一圈，慕名去吃盛津。以前在C的blog上看到讲盛津的吃的，老是口水横流的。对我来说，什么山珍海味都比不上火烧，油条，韭菜盒子这些东西。他们的东西还都很便宜很大个。煎饼果子比北京的好吃，北京的小贩因为方便保存的缘故，都用薄脆代替油条了，因为油条凉了就实在不好吃。可是用热油条做的煎饼果子才真正好。买了一个巨大的驴打滚，一个比我去年在北京的大董吃的六个加一块都大。我小时候一点都不喜欢驴打滚，不知道从什么时候起，一下子觉得这个很对胃口。带回家了两个韭菜盒子，后来很后悔没有买它一打两打的回来慢慢吃。

这次去MET看的两个喜欢的东西

这个是个中国的什么棋，不知是什么棋啊？说明里有汉语拼音名字的，没记下来。喜欢这两个石人，刻画很简单但是神情都表达出来了。

这个非洲馆里的，很震撼，可惜俺不打闪光就照糊打了闪光就偏色。这个有意思的地方就是，看了说明才意识到，it's not at all what you thought it was...

以前没留意过的Brooklyn

偷拍人家的qinceaera

河边吹口琴的老头

美女穿高跟鞋过旧马路

桥头堡

曼哈顿桥

看摄影展的地方

5/5/09 羊岩勾青

跟朋友换茶换来的。第一次喝，一喝就爱上啦！感觉不象典型的浙茶，有高山气息，查了一下，果然是海拔六七百米的地方产的。味道很清甜，玻璃mug冲了5水还有余香。干茶样子不起眼，冲泡开还是很好看的，而且是卷曲的茶，水温低些也容易沉底。是1980年代的新创茶，貌似市场价格也不贵 － 当然是相对龙井而言，这茶是上品，而且是在美国买的，估计价格不菲。这种味道好，容易冲泡，容易保存，价格适中的茶以后可以回国可以多买点。不过归根结底绿茶太high maintenance了，我去年在国内买的中高档的黄山毛峰，到现在喝着也还不错，不过拿来跟朋友的新毛峰（或者是新的，或者是专业低温保存的，不确定）一比，就显得有点黄了，味道也没那么清。

最近好口福，用岩茶和单枞跟朋友换了点绿茶，感动得我简直要热泪盈眶。不知不觉已经五月，糊里糊涂地过日子，这么冲一杯绿茶，春天的味道扑面而来，才忽然感受到了季节的变换！在美国新鲜绿茶太金贵了！我一般也就是夏天回国才能弄点绿茶，还不敢多弄，怕一不留神就放陈了。我的一个理想生活fantacy就是，家里不存大量的茶叶，想吃啥了买一两，吃完了马上溜达出门再买点。在国内，如果居住地不方便，起码还有淘宝。在美国，这样的生活一时半会儿是难实现了。不过现在美国也有网站三月底就开始卖明前绿茶了，虽然价格是国内的N倍，而且有的很难说是真的明前还是低温保存的旧茶，总算也是很大的进步了。我们这一代漂泊海外的人，都已经可以在美国喝新茶，吃蟹粉小笼，煲国际电话粥，比起前辈们真是幸福太多了啊。

5/3/09 Amherst College Museum of Natural History

我们今年的professional day安排参观Amherst College Museum of Natural History，而且有幸请到馆长Steven Sauter给我们导游。我们就6个人，被Sauter带着边讲边看了两个多钟头，太幸福啦。去之前我也没把这次参观太当一回事，结果一进门就给震住了。估计好多人都跟我似的，一进门先目瞪口呆地问一下那个mammoth和mastodon的骨骼化石是不是真的。这不过是个学生只有几百名的小college，谁能想到一进门先看到俩古巨象，一古熊，一古狼，一古猫，一古麋鹿的骨头架子，楼上楼下还有更多的骨骼化石和其他标本，地下室有几百个恐龙脚印化石。听过Sauter的讲解后，更让我吃惊的是，这些化石，基本上没有采购的，除了少量交换来的展品，大部分都是Amherst College的师生在过去的一百多年间收集的。从这一点上讲，这是我见过的最unique的collection了。整个地下室的恐龙脚印化石都是Amherst College的第三任校长Edward Hitchcock毕生收集的，很多块收集的时候都是这个地区铺人行道的石板，翻过来一看都布满了恐龙脚印。Hitchcock是个神甫也是个自然科学家，他一生都在探索科学与神学的和谐，他收集恐龙脚印的时候，世界上还没有“恐龙”这个词汇呢。还有一个家伙，从1899年到1937年的39个夏天都在收集化石。据说他每年在Amherst买一辆新的Chrysler汽车，开往西部，回来的时候都载回一车的化石。那个时候的车是四面开篷的那种，路也都是土路，这个人就这样每年夏天都去西部风餐露宿上几个月。博物馆里的很多重要藏品都是他收集的。走在这个小小的博物馆里，让我目瞪口呆的不仅是展品，还有那个年代那些人对工作的热情。

去过一次之后我大为兴奋，过了几天就又拉着RS去了一趟。除了它的内含外，这个博物馆让我非常喜欢的就是它非常accessible. 虽然Amherst College是私立，这个博物馆全楼耗资3千万，但是这个博物馆免费对公众开放，从星期二到星期天都开门，而且基本就在我们买菜的路上！这个博物馆并不大，总共3层楼，4间中等面积的展室，这个大小让我觉得非常manageable，而且人很少，在里面逛的时候感觉非常有私人空间，简直让我觉得太奢侈了. 这个博物馆我估计去上十几二十次，就能把里面的东西仔细看个七七八八了。其实有时间精读博物馆也是很有意思的事。以往每次去国家级的大博物馆，都是匆匆走马观花一下。逛这种离家近的小博物馆却可以很悠闲，我这次去就把他们关于动物颌骨进化的展品仔细看了一遍，他们这类展品都放在一排排的小抽屉里，参观者一个个拉开抽屉看里面的内容。我花了一个钟头，也不过就看了七八米长度里的若干个抽屉。剩下的好多个小抽屉和其他东西，都可以以后买菜路上停下来慢慢看。

4/29/09 TA讲话

D跟我既是同事又是朋友，她邀我回学校给TA们做一个关于找工作的演讲。我第一反应是，我是最不合适的人选啊，完全是夹缝中求生存，极其不成功的典型。D的看法是，我这样的坎坷挣扎找工作的人的感想，可能会对许多人有帮助。我想想也有道理。以前在学校听演讲，演讲者大都是行业翘楚，有光辉灿烂的职业历程。其实大部分人都是平常人，就让小同学们见识一下资质背景平常的PhD挣扎求生的 历程吧 :P 为了不给小同学们太大的打击，我用了很多鼓励性的话语。不过估计还是吓到了不少人。

其实现在回想找工作的那一年多，倒也没有很悲惨。大概主要因为我不是个心重的人，郁闷挣扎一小会儿，还是照常吃喝娱乐去了，从来没严峻思考过找不到工作的话是啥后果。其实如果找不到工作的话，当初移民去加拿大或者海龟回国，路一样不好走，但是结果也未必比现在差哈。

这是个10分钟左右的小演讲。我本来直到几个星期前还没好好想怎么说。按我以前的性格，很可能之前两三天想一下就完事了。但是有一天去J的课堂上听课。J是教英语的，给学生讲他们即将要写的一个paper，要怎样用心写，之后如何三番五次的改。她说，一篇好文章should reflect your heartache, loss of sleep and lots of struggles. 我听了很感动，觉得自己平时做事很少有认真的时候，都是觉得糊弄一下做了，结果也不坏。其实到了现在这个年纪，真是认真不认真自己心里知道了。我现在的英语水平，也是草草写一点东西吧也不会闹什么笑话，真正认真写呢，也好不到哪儿去，词句仍然很硌硬。这大概也是我一直不肯认真练英语的原因，一方面得过且过，一方面现阶段很多训练只看得到一点点进步。

受了J的启发，再加上最近常常觉得自己非常需要英语说和写的训练，所以就把这个演讲当作功课来做了，花了很多个钟头写和修改，又练习了好多遍。其实这次演讲的听众是最友好不挑剔的，所以我并不担心听众反应，希望做得好一些，听众可以take home的message明确一些，最主要的是相对自己的水平，讲得如何，还是自己心里最清楚。

另外，最近参加的一个会议，有一个很专业的speaker做了一个keynote speech，当时大家都觉得他讲得太好了。而且他讲得并不formal，一点都不费力气的样子。整个演讲信息量很大，提到了十来本书，都是经他一提我就非常有兴趣读。可见他平时读书有多么多，吸收信息有多么快。而且人家还不是职业演讲家，我一直没闹清他是做什么的，好像类似教育咨询的，估计工作中演讲的成分也占很大比例。后来一个领导跟我们提起，这个人是会议花了5000刀（plus travel expenses) 请来的，我们听了都倒抽一口凉气。据我所知，这个人在我们这儿演讲后又马不停蹄地去了另外几个城市大概也是演讲或组织workshop，我估计他一个月挣的钱就比我一年还多了。我们领导的意思是，我们这样的非盈利机构，花5000刀请人来演讲，太奢侈了。那个人要我们5000刀也太贵了。我也觉得我们这种机构，在当前经济形式下，这5000刀花得很奢侈。不过至于5000刀贵不贵，这就不是一下说得清的。反正那个人的水平吧，是那种我一见一听，就惊为天人，无限崇拜的。我估计我们大部分人，哪怕送去两年的封闭专门训练，都未必练出这个水平来。能有常人所不及的水平，当然就有资格开高价。比起这个人的水平，我觉得我的演讲，也就值50刀吧 :P


TA talk

Dear friends,
It’s a pleasure to come back and to meet you. Teaching has always been my career of choice, and it was the TA program that gave me all the training and confidence to pursue my career goal.
When I began my search for a teaching position, the job market seemed very challenging. I am sure many of you are well aware of job market challenges due to economy, market size of your specific field and other factors. Landing the first job is not easy, but I can assure you with confidence that, it’s no harder than your Master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, and you will be able to handle it! Some of us have more options then others, but everyone will have opportunities. Weigh your options, find a balance between the reality and your dream job, and do believe you will reach your career goal!

I started out with the strategy of applying to all relevant positions, including post doc and industry positions, but with a focus on teaching positions. As for how many applications to send, people use very different strategies. I sent out more than 100 applications. A friend of mine sent a total of 7 or 8, but spent weeks to prepare for each application. Another friend of mine, once I complained to her how few responses I received after sending out 50 applications in the span of 3 months, she said, “Come on! In my field it’s typical to send 50 applications over a weekend!” As you know, there is great variation among different professional fields. You will need to determine the best strategy to use based on your background and the market you face.

The strategy of starting with local opportunities worked very well for me. I sent resume to all local colleges, whether or not they were recruiting. In some academic fields, every department chair keeps a candidate pool for potential adjunct professor positions. All the colleges carry out national search when they have a tenure track position open, but for candidates of part-time or temporary positions, usually the department chair will turn to the adjunct candidate pool. And that’s how I got my first full-time position. I sent my resume to a local college early in the year, before they even knew they would have a position open. Then in the summer they invited me for an interview and soon I got a 1-year full-time contract. It was a 1-year contract so my job hunting continued. Later I found that this one year of full-time teaching experience made huge, positive difference in my job search later on.

As C mentioned, when you apply for a teaching position, the search committee values your college teaching experience probably more than anything else. Putting yourself in colleges’ candidate pool may lead you to some part-time or temporary teaching job that strengthens your resume. Sometimes it may not work out. Some adjunct jobs are not well paid and most are only temporary. But when the market is tough, it’s always nice to have one more option.

Since my job search was on a large scale, I used an Excel file to track all applications and keep notes about on-going progress. If you send out many applications in a short period of time, you can’t possibly keep track of all of them just in your mind. The easiest way I’ve found is, sending the application, recording all information in my Excel, and then moving on to the next application. In this way I could focus on the next application, and when I was called for an interview, I would pull out the job information from my Excel file and be instantly familiar with all necessary information.

As for interviews, there is significant variation depending on professional fields, employers and the formats of the interview. There are numerous books out there coaching people how to succeed in interviews. I didn’t find any books that exactly fit my career objectives. But I did read one good interview book and obtained some good basic suggestions. The best interview advice I’ve learned is - At any moment, be ready to use 3-5 sentences to summarize 3 of your signature strengths – that is, your best characteristics, either personality, or certain talent, or some valuable experience. These characteristics of yours are what defines you as a highly competent professional and ideal candidate. The signature strength statement works great for all phone interviews and on site interviews. And your strength statement can serve as a perfect base for you to answer many interview questions. Of course you should know how to describe your strengths in a few different ways, and know when to emphasize which one in various situations. But once you are very sure of your strengths and ready to convince people of your strengths, you can talk people into hiring you. Many of us are not good at self-promoting. But the strength statement is not bragging. It describes what you can provide, based on solid facts, and it reflects what you value the most on your career path. Even today, at my job, I will constantly reflect what my strengths are. This keeps me well aware of my career objectives.

Since I sent out many applications, and most ended up without a result, I did get quite a few phone interviews and on-site interviews. Believe it or not, at the end, I almost enjoyed the interviews. Of course I would still have the butterflies-in-stomach feeling at every interview, but I did enjoy the opportunities of visiting different campuses and talking with different people. As you know, college professors and staff are the most adorable people! I know when I relax and be myself, I would do well in an interview. But we all know it’s hard to relax under those circumstances. I found it helpful to focus my mind on exchange of professional information with the interviewers. Most of the interviewers are people who are already in the teaching position that you would like to have. Talking with them is a good opportunity for you to know more about this profession and their particular institutions. In this sense, as long as you give your insights, be attentive to others’ opinions, and ask good questions, your interview will always be rewarding, whether followed by a job offer or not. And when you focus more on the subject, on curriculum ideas and teaching philosophy, you will be acting as an enthusiastic professional, but not a nervous candidate lacking self confidence.

I believe all of you are well prepared for your future career. The interpersonal communication skills you gained in your TA work, the writing techniques you practiced in your thesis, and the critical thinking you developed in graduate study will all be great assets. You've already gained great strengths in years of hard work. All you need to do is to bring them out in your job search and in your professional life. Good luck to everyone!

5/2/09 Northampton Gay Pride游行

今天参加了Northampton的同性恋大游行。俺的人生又完整了哈哈。我们单位没有游行队伍，我们加入了RS做临时工的单位，穿着人家的制服跟着兴高采烈地走了一圈。

据说Northampton的同性恋游行是One of the country's largest. 乍一听我还有点惊讶，毕竟Northampton是个很小的城市。不过想想也是，美国大城市本来就不多，总共能有多少城市有同性恋游行呢。Northampton据说是Lesbian Capital，我认识的人里就有好几个，估计是为着这个缘故才住在这里的。

游行的感想有：
1. 这个规模的游行还是满不错的，既够热闹，又够方便。我们走了一圈，到终点停下来看了会儿后面的队伍，又在终点的fair转了一会儿，总共花了一个小时多一点。如果是多伦多或纽约规模的游行，估计光杀进杀出就要一两个小时。当然象那种大主题大运动的游行，还是人越多越好，这种散步娱乐型的，这样小型的就好。而且听说大城市的同性恋游行都穿的很暴露，少儿不宜场面很多，这里这个倒是还挺家庭化的，很多人都带了小孩出来看。

2. 我比较惊讶的是，这种游行，居然也是教堂的队伍占了一大半，连我印象中比较保守的宗教组织比如Quaker，都有游行队伍。我跟RS分析了一下，估计主要原因是教堂比较有集体的凝聚力，大家都集体出动了。另外一些人大概也是会因为自己的教堂不支持同性恋，就不参加这类活动了。

3. 按说学校里同性恋相对比较多的。我认识的就有一帮。我们还琢磨，为啥我们单位没组织个游行队伍呢？后来我跟RS想了一下，这类活动，估计还是要有非同性恋的积极分子组织，才能把一个单位带动起来。很多同性恋估计也不愿意在单位里组织这种活动，那样不是太凸现自己与众不同的地位了么。

4. 虽然游行是celebrate gay pride，之所以有这样的游行，主要还是因为gay们容易受排挤。我个人觉得，大家是否喜欢gay，是否觉得gay是天生的还是后天缺陷，这些争论都不是最重要的。关键是不能欺负少数人群。无论是哪一方观点，道理都能讲出一大篇来，大家可以各讲各的道理，但是很多事情不可能一方压倒另一方，最好还是agree to disagree with each other.